Are you stuck? Unable to move forward like you want to? Are you paralyzed with fear?
If you’re stuck, you must be afraid of something. At any moment in life you have the ability to choose a different path. With each decision you make, something changes.
I can think of two reasons why you might be afraid.
- You fear a change that will result in you being worse off than you are currently. Somehow you’ll make a bigger mess.
- You fear you’ll never be better off like you want to be. Any effort will be futile. You believe change is impossible.
Look to the Bridge of Hope
If nothing about you could ever change, you would become consumed with hopelessness. Without hope, fear can gain a death grip. The more you feel trapped, the more panicked you’ll feel. You can see a desirable outcome but have no bridge to get you there.
Anxiety blocks creativity. The more anxious I am, the less I have access to the part of me that can find solutions. When my ability to change my thinking becomes inaccessible, I become confused, paralyzed, and unable to move forward.
All positive, significant change is a decision to embrace more of who God made you to be. You can’t make a good decision when you’re anxious.
You were once dead in your sin, but now you are a new creation, capable of becoming more like Christ. This is the ultimate hope all believers have.
Focus on Your Identity
Circumstances can change for better or worse. But your identity is fixed. And this is good because it’s easier to hit a fixed target than one that moves all the time.
The kind of change I’m talking about is the kind that matters most. The priceless kind. Would you rather have an easy life, or the strength and peace to endure a hard life?
As you accept and move toward your true identity, you’ll gain the power to also accept your circumstances.
Start Unstoppable Momentum
The smallest change can result in unstoppable momentum. There’s always hope when there’s something you can change. If you can make a change in what you’re doing or saying, then something must be different inside of you.
Can you walk away from an abusive situation? I don’t mean give up on loving others. Instead, I mean choose to block lies from effecting your self-worth. Choose what is good rather than torture yourself with evil. If you’re believing lies about yourself, you are opening yourself to evil. God takes no pleasure in seeing you beat up or put down yourself. When something terrible happens, it has nothing to do with who you are.
Can you decide to take better care of yourself? Relax and allow yourself to find the greater separation between who your circumstance say you are and who God says you are. Always hold on to hope because you can make a change.
If the change you want seems too big, then start smaller. Even a small change can lead to big hope. Do something different. Take a walk instead of siting inside all day. Veg out instead of doing laundry all day. Choose peace despite your circumstances. Do something to enjoy the moment you have right now.
To explore this idea further see Ephesians 2:1-5, Proverbs 13:12, and see my post on Quora.
Image by Bishnu Sarangi from Pixabay
